Mode of



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID WHITTIER, OF BELFAST, MAINE.

MODE OF WORKING THE PISTONS OF PUMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 697, dated April 14, 1838.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it kno-wn that I, DAvID VHITTIER, ofBelfast, in the county of )Waldo and State of Maine, have invented a newand Improved Application of Power to Pumps; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description.

The nature of my invention consists in the application of inclinedplanes, inserted upon the outer circumference of a Wheel or cylinder,(which is made to revolve like the capstan of a vessel), to the spear orpistonof a pump so as to force it up and down.

To enable Vothers skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct a vertical barrel or cylinder, of wood or metal, of anygiven diameter, and of sufficient width to raise and depress the spearor piston the distance desired (see A, in the accompanying drawing).Upon the bottom of this barrel or cylinder, I place rollers, Aor smallwheels, upon which it is to revolve. Through the center of the cylindera metallic spindle is inserted, which is firmly placed in t-he floor ordeck or platform around which spindle the cylinder revolves. If thisspindle be constructed, as it may be, like that of the common shipscapstan, the cylinder may revolve upon it, as does a ships capstan, inwhich case the wheels upon the bottom may be omitted. Upon the outercircumference of the cylinder, I attach, firmly, four metallic plates,B, B, alternately ascending and descending, from the upper to the loweredge of the same, forming inclined planes, alternately up and down andVprojecting out sufiiciently for the small friction wheels, C, C,attached to the spear or piston rod, R, D, of the pump, to roll upon.Four pumps, or a greater or less number, are then placed around saidcylinder, and so near thereto as that the friction wheels attached tothe spear or piston, shall run upon said metallic plates-I attach thefriction wheels, to the spears or pistons, by

means of a short arm or projection E E extending from the spears orpistons. I then apply to the cylinder, power enough to put 1t in motion.This may be simply the lever or capstan bar, or wind, steam, or horsepower. The friction wheels, attached to the spears or pistons of thepumps, running -up on the ascending metallic plates, raise the spears orpistons, until said wheels meet the lower surface of thedescendingplates, (the endsof which extend a little above the ascendingplates so as to catch the wheels upon the lower surface of thedescending plates) by which the spear or piston is forced down, when thewheels again meet the ascending plates.

The cylinder, having the metallic plates aixed thereon may bepermanent-ly attached to the capstan of a vessel without inconvenience;or it may be made to ship` and unship to a capstan, at pleasure.

Instead of inclined planes upon the periphery, as above described,grooves may be formed in the periphery of the vertical cylinder, havingthe proper direction, and admitting the friction rollers attached to thepiston rod, by which means a like effect will be produced.

Vhat I claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In the manner herein described of raising and depressing the piston rodsof pumps, by attaching inclined planes, or sections of an helix to theperiphery of a vertical cylinder, to operate `substantially in themanner set forth, I also claim, as a modification of the same principle,the forming of grooves, having the same inclination as that given to thesaid planes, so as to receive the friction rollers attachedto the pistonrods, and to operate them in a similar manner.

DAVID WHITTIER.

Witnesses ALBERT SMITH, ANNIE. Slime,

